What to Do About Disloyal Corporations
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Wednesday, 12.9.15 ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net views VIEWS PAGE: [email protected] PAGE 4 PRESS&DAKOTAN The Press Dakotan THE DAKOTAS’ OLDEST NEWSPAPER | FOUndED 1861 Yankton Media, Inc., 319 Walnut St., Yankton, SD 57078 CONTACT US OPINION PHONE: (605) 665-7811 (800) 743-2968 NEWS FAX: Why Trump Hasn’t (605) 665-1721 ADVERTISING FAX: (605) 665-0288 Gone ‘Too Far’ WEBSITE: www.yankton.net onald Trump has gone too far ... again. ––––– Of course, the final word of that sentence is the only one SUBSCRIPTIONS/ that really matters. It indicates that Trump’s penchant for CIRCULATION uttering preposterous, incendiary things that would doom Dany other candidate has not hurt him much at all. In fact, it’s only Extension 104 [email protected] helped him build a fired-up, ticked-off constituency. CLASSIFIED ADS His latest foray into the Twilight Zone occurred Monday when Extension 116 the bellicose billionaire and Republican presidential frontrunner called for barring Muslim immigrants from entering the United [email protected] Robert B. Reich NEWS DEPT. States until “(we can) figure out what is going on.” This comes in the wake of last week’s mass shooting in California by two Muslims Extension 114 --- one of whom was an immigrant --- who appear to have been “radi- [email protected] calized” by jihadist philosophy. The slaughter has been branded SPORTS DEPT. a terrorist attack and has further heightened anti-Muslim tensions What To Do About Extension 106 across the country. [email protected] The establishment reaction to Trump’s proposal was much ADVERTISING DEPT. like its reaction to other Trump offerings. The White House, the Extension 122 Democratic presidential candidates and Trump’s own GOP rivals [email protected] vigorously condemned it. But his supporters mostly loved it, and Disloyal Corporations BUSINESS OFFICE while we have yet to gauge the full fallout of this latest utterance, Extension 119 past experience suggests it will only boost his popularity. He is, yet BY ROBERT B. REICH upcoming deal with the European Union, the [email protected] again, what everyone is talking about right now, which is clearly Tribune Content Agency interests of American pharmaceutical compa- NEW MEDIA: part of his campaign strategy. nies like Pfizer -- gaining more patent protec- Extension 136 (To be fair, his statement on Muslims wasn’t wholly surprising or Just like that, Pfizer has decided it’s no tion abroad, limiting foreign release of drug [email protected] entirely original. Two weeks ago, fellow GOP candidates Jeb Bush longer American. It plans to link up with data, and preventing other governments from COMPOSING DEPT. and Ted Cruz were declaring that the U.S. should admit only “Chris- Ireland’s Allergan and move its corporate controlling drug prices -- have been central Extension 129 tian” refugees, which would seem to be a roundabout way of getting headquarters from New York to Ireland. points of contention. And Pfizer has been one [email protected] at the same thing. And on Tuesday, candidate Rand Paul noted he That way it will pay less in taxes. Ireland’s of the biggest beneficiaries. From now on, it tax rate is less than half that of shouldn’t be. * * * has previously proposed halting immigration from the Middle East in general, due to the dangers in that area.) United States. Ian Read, Pfizer’s U.S. pharmaceutical companies MANAGERS These days, Trump is called a lot of names — the list is long and chief executive, told the Wall Street rake in billions of dollars a year Gary L. Wood harsh, and in some cases unprintable here — but he’s not stupid. Journal the higher tax rate in the because Medicare isn’t allowed to Publisher What he’s calling for with Muslim immigrants is impractical and United States caused Pfizer to com- use its huge bargaining power to get perhaps illegal. That whole First Amendment thing about freedom of pete “with one hand tied behind our lower drug prices. But a non-Amer- Michele Schievelbein back.” ican company like Pfizer shouldn’t Advertising Director religion inconveniently stands in the way. But Trump is really playing to people’s deepest fears. He’s giving Read said he’d tried to lobby get any of this windfall. From now Jim Gevens loud voice to their anxieties, which at the moment are tethered to Congress to reduce the corporate tax on, Medicare should squeeze every Circulation Director Muslims, terrorism and whatever faceless things may be lurking in the rate (now 35 percent) but failed, so penny it can out of Pfizer. seemingly safe corners of our society. His solutions are usually vague Pfizer is leaving. American drug companies also Tonya Schild Such corporate desertions from get a free ride off of basic research Business Manager but they’re as direct as a sledgehammer, especially compared to the Robert B. agonizingly complicated, cautious realm of international diplomacy. the United States (technically called done by the National Institutes of Tera Schmidt That directness makes good sense to some people. His ideas are also “tax inversions”) will cost the rest of REICH Health. Last year, the NIH began a Classified Manager often unrealistic, ugly, mean-spirited and antithetical to the soul of us taxpayers some $19.5 billion over collaboration with Pfizer’s Centers Kelly Hertz this country, but they effectively prey on fear and harvest supporters. the next decade, estimates Con- for Therapeutic Innovation, subsidiz- Editor Meanwhile, the rest of us roll our eyes and declare that he’s “gone gress’s Joint Committee on Taxation. ing Pfizer’s appropriation of early too far.” Which is fueling demands from Republicans scientific discoveries for new medications. James D. Cimburek Again. to lower the corporate tax rate. Donald Trump In the future, Pfizer shouldn’t qualify for this Sports Editor The truth is, Trump isn’t going “too far” at all if enough people wants it to be 15 percent. Mike Huckabee and subsidy, either. Beth Rye are right there with him, propping up his scorched-earth presiden- Ted Cruz want to eliminate the corporate tax Finally, non-American corporations face Digital Media Director tial quest and buying his mantra that he’ll “make America great altogether. (How this would save the Treasury restrictions on what they can donate to U.S. again,” apparently by stripping away some of the most basic ideas more money than further corporate tax inver- candidates for public office, and how they can Kathy Larson that made this nation great in the first place. sions is unclear.) lobby the U.S. government. Yet Pfizer has been Composing Manager As long as his angry base fuels him and has his back, Trump will Rather than lower corporate tax rates, an among America’s biggest campaign donors Sarah Lynde continue to pound at boundaries while he panders for support. At easier fix would be to take away the benefits of and lobbyists. District Manager the moment, fear, frustration, paranoia and belligerence seem to be corporate citizenship from any company that In 2014, it gave $2,217,066 to candidates, his most effective allies. deserts America. according to OpenSecrets.org. (By contrast, * * * kmh One big benefit is the U.S. patent system its major competitor, Johnson & Johnson, DAILY STAFF that grants companies like Pfizer longer patent spent $755,000.) And Pfizer spent $9,493,000 Reilly Biel protection and easier ways to extend it than on lobbyists. So far in the 2016 election cycle, Cassandra Brockmoller ABOUT THIS PAGE most other advanced economies. it’s been one of the top 10 corporate donors. Brandi Bue In 2013, Pfizer raked in nearly $4 billion Pfizer’s political generosity has paid Rob Buckingham The View page provides a forum for open discussion of issues and Caryn Chappelear interests affecting our readers. Initialed editorials represent the opinion on sales of the Prevnar 13 vaccine, which off — preventing Congress from attaching Randy Dockendorf of the writer, but not necessarily that of the PRESS & DAKOTAN. prevents diseases caused by pneumococcal a prescription drug benefit to Medicare, or Jeannine Economy Bylined columns represent the view of the author. We welcome letters on bacteria, from ear infections to pneumonia. from making it easier for generics to enter the Rachel Frederick current topics. Questions regarding the Views page should be directed to Pfizer is the only manufacturer of Prevnar 13. market, or from using Medicare’s bargaining Jeremy Hoeck Kelly Hertz at [email protected]/. Other countries wouldn’t allow their patent power to reduce drug prices. Nicole Myers systems to justify such huge charges. Neither And the company has donated hundreds Robert Nielsen Diana Smallwood should we — especially when Pfizer stops be- of thousands of dollars to the candidacies of David Stephenson IN HISTORY ing an American company. state attorneys general in order to get favora- Cathy Sudbeck The U.S. government also protects the ble settlements in cases brought against it. JoAnn Wiebelhaus By The Associated Press proved a controversial hike in university assets of American corporations all over the But by deserting America, Pfizer relinquish- Brenda Willcuts Today is Wednesday, Dec. 9, the tuition fees. Actor Wesley Snipes began 343rd day of 2015. There are 22 days left serving a three-year sentence at a fed- world. es its right to influence American politics. Alissa Woockman in the year. eral prison in Pennsylvania for failure to In the early 2000s, after a Chinese com- If Pfizer or any other American corpora- Today’s Highlights in History: On file income tax returns. Florida’s Clem- pany replicated Pfizer’s formula for Viagra, tion wants to leave America to avoid U.S.